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1.
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There is no apology for the marked Old Testament emphasis
here, for it becomes more and more evident that the Gospels, shot through with
allusions to the older Scriptures, demand to be interpreted in the light of
them. "New Testament Christianity" is a religion of ignorance.
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2.
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References to various authorities on the Gospels are few. Had
I been systematic in this, the book would have been overloaded with a mass of
references of the sort most readers have no use for.
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3.
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Also, the original copious footnotes have been resolutely
eliminated. To some extent the notes at the end of each chapter have taken over
their function. But for the most part those notes consist of additional details
of the sort that students may appreciate and which stubbornly refuse to blend
into the main text.
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4.
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Even so, the body of the text has a fair number of extra Bible
references (useful, I hope) and parenthetic additions. If to some extent these
make for less smooth reading, I apologize. It was difficult to know what else to
do with them.
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5.
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Inevitably, repetitions of ideas and emphasis will be found to
crop up from time to time. In the first draft they grew like weeds. Even now, in
spite of ruthless excision, some still survive.
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6.
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The original volume (1 st edition) stopped short at the burial
of our Lord. That was a bad mistake on my part. Of course these Studies should
have run on to the very end of the Gospels. Now they do, through the
incorporation of my book: "He is risen indeed", largely re-written.
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7.
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The order of the Studies is approximately that followed by any
standard Harmony of the Gospels.
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8.
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The mystery of both double and single quote marks calls for
explanation. As far as possible the former are used for exact quotation of Bible
text. The latter come in where there has been an attempt at paraphrase (and, now
and then, at imagining what might have been said).
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9.
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But it is necessary to say that, in spite of some appearance
to the contrary, use of imagination in re-constructing Gospel scenes has been
very sparing. A big proportion of what might seem to be based on imagination is
actually there in the Gospel text. In some places there is inference with a high
degree of probability.
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10.
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It is not to be hoped that complete freedom from error in
interpretation has been achieved. A note to the author about any serious mistake
would be appreciated.
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11.
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These Studies have also been tape-recorded by the author (not
very efficiently, I fear) and are available from:
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The Williamsburg Foundation, 1620 Lititz Pike, Lancaster. Pa,
USA 17601.
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12.
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It is not possible to set down here at all adequately my
degree of indebtedness to a wide circle of good friends. But it would be
churlish not to mention gratefully:
- my wife and her unflagging enthusiasm for these
written studies, and for the tape-recorded
version.
- the noble army of typists (one of them
especially) who did such splendid copying, and without a single
grumble.
- another noble army of well-wishers whose
encouragement suggests a greater confidence in this undertaking than my
own.
- a certain out-size enthusiast whose
optimistic bullying chivvied me, and whose faith shamed me, into undertaking
what I had decided was a quite impracticable
project.
- the incredible patience and good temper
of my printer. To all of these, thanks, thanks indeed
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And now I trust that I may, without presumption, consign to
the care and blessing of the Lord Jesus this sustained attempt to get to know
Him better and to bring Him more intimately into the lives of others.
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1.
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These Studies are by no means all on the same level of
readability. Where the going is deemed to be rather easier there is an asterisk
at the heading. The general reader (and perhaps the more diligent student also?)
will probably prefer to concentrate on these first, omitting also all the
end-of-chapter notes. Then after a while, a complete re-read.
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2.
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Perhaps eventually time will be found to work systematically
through the volume once again, this time giving attention to the notes as well
and also following up the references.
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3.
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Others will be content to use the book simply as a work of
reference, going as occasion requires to this section or that. The list of
Contents pp VII-XII (and, failing that, the Index) should help such to find
fairly readily what they are after.
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4.
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Will all readers please get accustomed to two standard
abbreviations, which crop up frequently:
- LXX means, of course, the Septuagint Greek
Version of the Old Testament — indispensable!
- s.w. means "same word" — it is an
abbreviation good Bible students can do without.
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